Sunday, 6 December 2009

Tokidoki Collection

It seems like I have a couple of readers who are also Tokidoki fans! So I thought I would do a post about my Tokidoki bag collection. Here's most of my collection, excluding the Pegaso Matricola and a Trasporto Zucca. I like only the non-human characters so most of my bags are in prints that exclude the Tokidoki girls. This was my first purchase from the debut collection for LeSportsac in Spring 2006. I stood in the LSS flagship store in Omotesando, Tokyo, for close to an hour deliberating over this. It was horribly expensive as the price in Japan is always marked up way above the US retail price. This cost US$198 in the US but in Japan, it was probably close to US$300. This is the only purchase I regretted because the sides of the bag do not maintain their shape well. I also picked up the Stellina version for daily use. I wanted the Citta Rosa in the Zucca style but was unable to find it at first, so I got the Campeggio instead. I used this frequently for shopping. This has been in storage for the past 2 years and to my horror, it was covered in brownish stains when I took it out this morning to photograph. Thankfully, I was able to scrub most of the stains off with good ol' Dynamo. (The pic below is taken pre-washing.) And then of course after I bought the Campeggio, I found the Zucca and had to get that too ;-p My favourite is the character in the middle yakking away on the phone while his friend stands next to him with a gun. This is L'Amore in the Buon Vaggio style with all the Tokidoki characters paired up. This is Paradiso in the Ciao Ciao style. It's not the most useful as the lack of a broad base means that you can't put much in it without it bulging unattractively. But I chose it as it shows off the print beautifully and I wanted a bag style that I did not already possess. I always end up buying the larger LSS bags as I like to see the prints in larger sizes. Vacanze was the last print that LeSportSac did with Tokidoki so I splurged and got the largest bag style, Avventura. I use this most frequently for overseas trips as my carry-on bag as I can squeeze lots of stuff inside it, including my laptop. I also tend to shop a lot in airport duty-free so this is great for those impulse purchases. Sometimes I also just fold it up and throw it in my suitcase as an extra bag for shopping. The side net pockets are very convenient as a temporary hold for all the paraphernalia you need when travelling.

17 comments:

I *LOVE* your collection. I know what I am doing for my next blog post now! I do like the girls in the prints most of the time though, so I have prints like TanPG. My favourite print is by far Citta Rosa (I love the pink) and I am SO jealous of your campeggio!! Glad to hear the stains came out! I use Clorox bleach gel cleaning pens and it removes ANYTHING.

I actually really like Ciao-Ciaos, the way they display the print is BEAUTIFUL and I find it takes a lot to make the bag look 'bulgy'. I am also a fan of the bigger bags. Haha I have over 30 bags, and I think less than 5 of them are smaller than a Buon Viaggio. :)

If you are looking for a way to keep the Luna in 'shape', I think there is a girl on the Tokidoki free-forums that makes organizers for various bag styles! Maybe she has a Luna organizer?

I like such whimsical cute prints much more than any glamorous bag from Prada/Coach/Kate Spade etc! So Tokidoki and LeSportsac have gotten the bulk of my bag shopping $$ for the past few years. The prints always cheer me up, and I like that they are different from all the other normal classic bags that most other people carry. I use my LSS bags even for work!

Hi justine,

I was afraid of using anything stronger than normal detergent in case it fades the prints. I think I have used my Ciao-Ciao the least out of my collection, mainly because I like more roomy bags that can hold a lot of shopping! But I'd definitely try to use it more.

You have over 30? Wow, I'd love to see your collection too! Do make a blog post about them!

I haven't heard of the Tokidoki free-forums. Will check it out! I usually read only The Purse Forum and the tokidoki-blog.com.

Hi Sheila,My mom didn't understand why I was spending so much on these bags too which she thought was very childish. But I earn my own $$ so I can spend it however I like (and carry the bags I like)! In Singapore, you see ladies of all ages carrying Tokidoki bags (including the counterfeit ones).

If you can't find the same pen where you are I'd be happy to mail you one. They are fantastic! I used my Adios Star campeggio in Japan but forgot to protect it, so there was a lot of staining from my dark coloured clothes! And the pen removed EVERYTHING :)

I don't recommend using normal bleach though.

Your bag styles seem like mine! I love the fun prints of Tokidoki more than high-end brands like LV, Chanel, etc... my mom actually does like the bags but doesn't really understand why they are so expensive!

That's really too kind of you! I'll let you know if I can't find it over here. Clorox products are sold in Singapore so it might very well be available over here. I also freaked out once when I realised my clothes had stained one of my Tokidoki bags.

My mom was also shocked at how expensive LSS bags are and it also took me some time to get used to the pricing, especially when I was living in Japan and the prices were even higher. But these all last really well and are so lightweight which is just perfect for me as my shoulder gets very tired easily.

I only started buying Tokidoki in the last year (I blame my large collection on finding cheap bags and pouncing on them) and sometimes I kick myself for not starting sooner... we used to spend every July in the USA and I remember seeing them in the LSS outlets! I find the outlet prices are more in line with what my Mom considers 'reasonable' but even 'regular' LSS bags are on the pricey side!

I LOVE that the bags are lightweight. I just got a bag to use as a carry-on, and I'm excited because actual carry-on luggage always seems to weigh a ton.

This is what the pen looks like here:http://www.clorox.com/products/overview.php?prod_id=bp

This is such a BEAUTIFUL collection! I especially love the print on the last one - love love love the little penguins!! Unfortunately Tokidoki is way out of my price range right now, but I do hope they'll continue making pretty things once I am able to afford them LOL. I always love stopping by the collection in Macy's to ogle at the new designs. =)

Hi,I just hand wash them with normal laundry detergent and scrub gently with a non-abrasive sponge. Many Tokidoki collectors swear by the Clorox bleach gel cleaning pens (read the above comments by justine).

If you look on the tokidoki.freeforum.org you will see a thread about cleaning these bags that is VERY informative. Some even use blue painters tape to protect the leather while cleaning and even give detailed instructions on what other items to use such as a soft bristle brush and etc.